February 3, 2006
The Capital Times, Madison, WI
EDITORIAL
As Wisconsinites mourn the passing of Coretta Scott King, they would do well to recall the message she delivered during one of her last visits to the state.
Delivering the keynote address at that year's Wisconsin Education Association convention in Milwaukee, she condemned proposals to divert taxpayer dollars from public education to private schools.
Describing strong public schools as an essential underpinning of a functional and free America, King said, "Anything that undermines them does a shameful disservice to children."
While the wife of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. said she saw value in religious education, she added, "I see no good reason private schools should be subsidized by taxpayers."
Speaking specifically about so-called "voucher programs," which require taxpayers to fund the education of students who do not attend public schools, King warned that those who would use public money to fund religious or for-profit private schools are robbing the great mass of American children of an opportunity to secure the education they need.
Coretta King understood that supporting public education is essential to advancing the civil rights struggle, to which she and her husband dedicated their lives. Today, conservative special interest groups are funding a radio advertising campaign that seeks to associate defenders of public education with segregationists such as former Alabama Gov. George Wallace. The campaign is a grotesque distortion of history and the truth and we hope that, out of respect for Coretta King's memory, it will be discontinued.
Friday, February 3, 2006
Thursday, February 2, 2006
Tom DeLay Busted?
DeLay's Defense Fund in Red
Congressman raised $590,000 last year but still owes hundreds of thousands more
By: MICHAEL HEDGES
WASHINGTON - Embattled U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay raised more money for his legal defense in 2005 than ever before but still owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to lawyers, according to documents released Tuesday. DeLay, fighting an indictment in Texas on charges of illegal fundraising while facing scrutiny by federal prosecutors in Washington for his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, raised $181,851 between Oct. 1 and the end of the year.
That amount brought the total raised for his legal defense fund in 2005 to $590,520, significantly more than the $439,550 recorded in 2004.
But during 2005, DeLay's legal expenses topped $1 million, said Brent Perry, a Houston attorney who administers the fund.
"We paid out well over $500,000 in legal fees (in 2005)," he said. The payments would leave DeLay owing lawyers at least $500,000, a figure Perry said was probably low. (full story)
Congressman raised $590,000 last year but still owes hundreds of thousands more
By: MICHAEL HEDGES
WASHINGTON - Embattled U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay raised more money for his legal defense in 2005 than ever before but still owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to lawyers, according to documents released Tuesday. DeLay, fighting an indictment in Texas on charges of illegal fundraising while facing scrutiny by federal prosecutors in Washington for his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, raised $181,851 between Oct. 1 and the end of the year.
That amount brought the total raised for his legal defense fund in 2005 to $590,520, significantly more than the $439,550 recorded in 2004.
But during 2005, DeLay's legal expenses topped $1 million, said Brent Perry, a Houston attorney who administers the fund.
"We paid out well over $500,000 in legal fees (in 2005)," he said. The payments would leave DeLay owing lawyers at least $500,000, a figure Perry said was probably low. (full story)
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
Cindy Sheehan: What Really Happened
By Cindy Sheehan
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
t r u t h o u t Perspective
As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the Union address last night.
I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.
There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press (shocker). So this is what really happened:
This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC, where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead. How many more?
After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me, and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket, and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns, who is in Iraq Veterans Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media, and everyone knew I was going to be there, so I sucked it up and went.
I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the underground tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.
My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.
I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled, "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat, and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.
The officer ran with me to the elevators, yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said, "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I got hauled out of the People's House because I was "Protesting." (full story)
NOTE: I've lived in the Washington, DC area since 1990, and continue to be amazed at the lack of free speech in our nations Capital. I think if more citizens were aware of what actually takes place here, they would be appalled.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
t r u t h o u t Perspective
As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the Union address last night.
I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.
There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press (shocker). So this is what really happened:
This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC, where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead. How many more?
After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me, and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket, and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns, who is in Iraq Veterans Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media, and everyone knew I was going to be there, so I sucked it up and went.
I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the underground tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.
My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.
I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled, "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat, and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.
The officer ran with me to the elevators, yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said, "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I got hauled out of the People's House because I was "Protesting." (full story)
NOTE: I've lived in the Washington, DC area since 1990, and continue to be amazed at the lack of free speech in our nations Capital. I think if more citizens were aware of what actually takes place here, they would be appalled.
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